Reducing Catheter-associated Urinary Tract Infections
Published on in CHOP News
Improve Outcomes
Keep Patients Safe
Why is this important?
Urinary tract infections are the most common type of healthcare-associated infections, accounting for more than 30 percent of infections reported, and are most often associated with the use of bladder catheters. Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) have been associated with increased patient complications, hospital costs, and number of days spent in the hospital. The good news is that many CAUTI may be prevented, and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has made great progress.
What we did
CAUTI prevention is part of CHOP’s Harm Prevention Program. The CAUTI Prevention team found that consistent efforts to reduce CAUTI by Hospital staff, led to a decrease in infection rates. Patients with urinary catheters received special attention each day, and staff were given customized education on proper catheter care and infection prevention.
Results
As a direct result of these efforts, there has been a significant decrease in the rate of these infections during the last year.
Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infection rate per 1,000-catheter days
The rate of CAUTI decreased by over 50 percent resulting in fewer patients having these infections.
Updated October, 2018